Chemical apparatus.



2. OSTEN BERG. CHEMICAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB-7,1916! Patented Mar; 27, 1917.

fiENO OS'IENBERG, OE SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. ASSIGNOR T INTERNATIONAL CELLULOSE COMPANY, OF RENO, NEVADA, A CORPORATION OF NEVADA.

CHEMICAL errnm rns.

v Specification or Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2'7, 19M.

Application filed February 7, 1916. Serial No. 76,687;

. To all whom it my camera:

Be it known that I, ZENO Os'mnenae, a citizen of the United States, arid resident of San Francisco, in the county; of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chemical Apparatus, of which the following is a speci cation.

My invention relates to chemical apparatus, and particularly to apparatus for dissolving and 'hydrolyzing cellulose and its derivatives in which cellulose containing material is subjected, in proper quantity and form, to the action of an acid spray and finally digested and the products of hydrolysis extracted.

It is the object of my invention to provide an apparatus of the aboveindicated character by means of which the cellulose containing material can be fed in the proper 'quan tity, speed and condition into a treating tank to provide means for supplying acid solution to the treating tank in the proper amount and condition, and at the desired point; to provide proper receptacles for the treated material and means for conveying said material to said receptacles, and means for extracting the treated material in said receptacles by means of a suitable solvent.

Referrin to the drawings which illustrate, mere y by way of example, suitable means of effecting my invention,

Figure 1 is a sectional view of my apparatus in use, parts being broken away.

- Fig. 2 is an elevation of my apparatus with a movable digester tank in position.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of my apparatus showing a number of movable digester tanks. Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the accompanying drawings .and in the following description I have shown and described in detail an apparatus for treating comminuted wood, but it is understood, of course, that modifications in the form, structure, and operation of the apparatus may be made to conform to the particular nature of the substance to be treated.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, at 1 is indicated a supply tank, which is filled with comminuted wood 2. At 3 is shown a. treating tank connected to supply tank 1 by a conduit 4 in which is mounted a screw conveyer 5 in bearings 6 and 7, the same being provided with a pulley wheel 8 driven by a belt 9 connected to any suitable source of power supply. At 10 I suitable type positioned therein and having a spraying nozzle 13 secured to its end and directed downwardly as shown. At let is shown a digester tank connected to tank 3 by conduit 15 in which is positioned screw conveyer 16 mounted in bearings 17 and 18 and driven by a belt as 19 and pulley wheel 20. Belt 19 may be driven by a second pulley wheel, as 21, secured to the shaft of screw conveyer 5 or-by being connected to any other suitable source of supply not shown. For obvious reasons most of the parts of this apparatus should be made of acid-proof materials.

In operation tank 1 is filled with comminuted cellulose containing material, such as wood indicated at 2. The rotating screw conveyer 5 causes a continuous stream of said material to be fed through conduit 4 and to be discharged upon spreader 10 in tank 3. Spreader 10 is designed to scatterthe falling material and cause it to fall evenly the rest of the way in tank 3 in a finely divided state. Valve 12 being open, acid solution under sufiicient pressure to discharge from nozzle 13 in the form of a spray becomes intimately mixed with the falling particles of material 2 and thereby forms a moist mass indicated at 22. The rotating of screw conveyer 1O draws the moist mass from tank 3 and discharges the same into digester tanks as 14.

It is desirable that a number of these tanks be provided to be filled in rotation as above described, as the material should remain in said tanks for a time, after which air is blown through the same and the material then extracted and the extract dialyzed. A means of circulating water about tank 3 is shown at 23, since it may, at times, become necessary to use a cooling agent for the same. Connections to the digester tanks are shown at 24: and 25. When a number of digester tanks are used they may .be arranged in any suitable way so as to be successivel placed under the discharge en the same and cause said material to mum v of, con uit 5, for instance as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Having thus described I claim is A chemical apparatus comprising a remy invention, what 'ceptacle, .a treating or mixing tank adapted to receive a predetermined quantity of. comreceiving minuted material and hold'the same in a mass for a predetermined period, a cone shaped spreader rigidly positioned in the end" of said mixing tank and adapted to intercept said material entering said material, means or coo said mass in a cylindrical veil, means for introducing-a liqnidinto the interior ofsaid.

cylindrical veil and s ray' the same into I the treated material, and means for effecting the simultaneous'addition of material to said mass and subtraction of material fromsaid mass.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature this'29th day 'of Janu'ar) *,'1916. I c

ZENO OSTENBERG. 

